Best Poets of Members

Akhlaq Mohammed Khan (Hindi: अख़लाक़ मुहम्मद ख़ान ''), who wrote under the pen name Shahryar (शहरयार), was an Indian academician, and a doyen of Urdu poetry in India. As a Hindi film lyricist, he is best known for his lyrics in Gaman (1978), Umrao Jaan (1981) and Anjuman (1986), by Muzaffar Ali. In 2008 he won the Jnanpith Award, which is the highest literary award in India.

Early Life

Khan was born at tehsil Aonla, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. His father was in police force. In his childhood days, Khan wanted to become an athlete but his father wanted him to join the police force. It is then that he ran away from home and was guided by Khalil-ur-Rahman. To earn a living, he started teaching Urdu fiction at Aligarh Muslim University where he later studied and got his PhD. He received his early education at Bulandshahr and later studied at Aligarh Muslim University.

Shahryar Sahab is survived by three children, Humayun Shahryar, Saima Shahryar and Faridoon Shahryar.

Career

Khan started his career as a literary assistant at Anjuman Tarraqqi-e-Urdu, thereafter he joined Aligarh Muslim University as a lecturer in Urdu, he was appointed professor in 1986, and in 1996, he retired as chairman of the Urdu Department. He has co-edited the literary magazine Sher-o-Hikmat (Poetry and Philosophy). Shahryar wrote lyrics for select films. His two ghazals Seene Mein Jalan Ankhon Mein Toofan Sa Kyun Hai and Ajeeb Saneha Mujhpar Guzar Gaya Yaaron in Muzaffar Ali'..